Problem and Preliminaries -- Management Issues in the Cloud-ICT Age -- Discrete Science and Knowledge Form -- Basic Method for Higher Management -- Traffic Accounting Method -- Progressive Control Method -- Developments for Higher Management -- Performance System for Real-Time Management -- Invisible Balancing/Collaborations of Enterprises -- Soft Tools for Post-ERP/SCM -- SALPS for Stochastic Assembly Lines -- DSMAP for Demand-to-Supply Planning.

This book presents recent work in the physics and economics of management through the developmental theory and practice of management science/operations research (MS/OR) that goes beyond the author's earlier book on the same subject. (Volume 125 in Springer's MS/OR series) This current work makes a useful contribution to the next-generation discrete system of science and management for a better society. The scope of the book is focused on the science and management of the 3M&I-Time system in the discrete world, where that system is a complex class consisting of humans, material/machine, money and time. The system is treated by a stochastic/intelligence (medium) approach. The science of this system is the interdisciplinary science of physics, management, economics and related fields, and is based on synthesis and intelligence in the new discrete world. Here, this domain is referred to as a discrete and complex science (of physics and economics) in industry and society. Another domain, which is referred to as higher management science and operations in this book, stems from the change in traditional management to higher management driven by the power of information and communications technology (ICT) in the cloud computing/global age. This domain exists to meet the needs of logic for real-time/systematic decisions and management in a changeable, speeded-up and risk environment.